Our family’s Vanillekipferl have been such a hit that we decided to branch out into the chocolate version of the Almond Crescent Cookie. SSJ’s new Shokokipferl, Chocolate Almond Crescent Cookies, are already in the books as one of the most delightful and delightfully simple cookies we’ve tested in quite some time. We couldn’t be happier!
Shokokipferl, Chocolate Almond Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 c [minus 2 tbs] cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes [200 g]
- 1 ¾ c all-purpose flour [260 g]
- ½ c ground almonds [50 g]
- ½ c ground hazelnuts [or more ground almonds] [50 g]
- ½ c icing sugar [100 g]
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 fresh egg yolks
Optional Chocolate Dip
- 3 Bars [300 grams] Milk or Dark Chocolate [or the equivalent in chocolate chips]
- 2 tsp coconut oil [OPTIONAL]
- ½ c finely chopped nuts or sprinkles as additional decor, or a small amount of sea salt for sprinling [OPTIONAL]
Optional Icing Sugar
- ¼ c icing sugar [100 g]
Instructions
- Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor or in a mixing bowl. If you are using a mixing bowl, create a well in the centre of the flour.
- Place the cubed butter in the food processor OR in the middle of the well you created in the flour. Pulse with the food process OR mix with hands or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles small peas or coarse crumbs.
- To the bowl of the food proceessor OR making another well in the mixture in your mixing bowl, add the ground nuts, icing sugar, salt, the vanilla, and the egg yolks.
- In the food processor OR by hand, combine and knead the dough. After a few moments, it will resemble a coarse mixture. In another minute or so, it will come together into a ball of shiny dough. It's alright if there are a few bits of yellow butter showing through the brown dough.
- Divide the dough in half and then shape each ball into a rope about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
- Wrap each rope in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours [no more than 24].
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.
- Working with one roll at a time, remove the dough from the refrigerator and slice off walnut-sized pieces. Using your palms, roll each piece into a 3-inch rope, approximately the width of your palm. The rope will naturally narrow at each end. Then, bend into a crescent shape or use your palm and opposite pointer finger to shape each little rope into a crescent.
- Place the crescents about a half-inch apart on a cookie sheet. [I can do 24 per sheet, or about half the batch / one rope!]
- Bake 12 minutes, or until the tips of each moon have just begun to brown [if you can see that with the chocolate].
- Remove the first batch of baked cookies from the oven and allow to sit on the pan for 2 minutes before sliding to a cooling rack.
- Cool completely. Repeat, as above, with the second batch of cookies.
- OPTIONAL: While the cookies are cooling, melt the chocolate [and optional coconut oil] in a double boiler or in short pulses in the microwave.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie in chocolate. [If so desired, sprinkle this melted chocolate end in sprinkles, chopped nuts, or sea salt.] Place back on the parchment-lined pan, and allow to cool and set in the fridge for at least 5 minutes.
- OPTIONAL: Measure the icing sugar.
- Then, when the chocolate on the cookies has set, using a sieve and spoon or a tea-ball, dust the un-coated tops of the cookies liberally in the icing sugar.
- Repeat, as above, with the second tray of cookies. And ENJOY!
- Cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Though, it's unlikely you'll have them around that long!
Notes
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